nic_b's profile
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Employee

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59 Messages

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2.5K Points

Tuesday, December 19th, 2017 10:36 PM

Updates to Title Reference View

Please note: this message is about the Title Reference View, an advanced, opt-in setting, which is only used by a subset of select users.  If you don’t use this view, this announcement can be disregarded.

Today (December 19th 2017) we are announcing the release of an updated Title Reference View.  The new Title Reference View merges the previous “combined” and “reference” experiences into a single data-centric view containing full cast and crew credits.  While we realize there are some changes between the new and old versions, this new page still provides a condensed, data-centric representation of the title and is based on past surveys and contributor feedback.  As part of a larger initiative to modernize our software (https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/upcoming-changes-to-several-imdb-features), this page needed to be rebuilt.   The older page, while valuable, had major issues impacting its maintainability and overall speed.  The new page is now on modern, scalable software which can be improved and expanded over time.  For example, the new page is significantly faster, in both page load time and the data itself.  Title data is now rapidly published, allowing users the ability to find and update title information as soon as it is available (the old page was typically 2-3 days behind). 

While the new page is not exactly the same as the old, we still believe the new page properly represents the data itself.  If you notice an issue, please let us know.  We will be monitoring this thread to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.

Here are some frequently asked questions:

What does the new page look like?
Here is screenshot.  To toggle between the standard title display and the reference page, please update your user preferences as detailed below.
 

How do I see the new Title Reference View?
On “Site Settings\Update general site preference”, at https://www.imdb.com/preferences/general selecting this option will redirect you to the new page:




What happened to the Name Reference View?
As part of the larger project to modernize our software, we have decided to deprecate the Name Reference View.  While the differences between the primary title display and the title reference view are significant, the differences between the name displays were less extreme.

Why didn’t you include User Review detail on the new page?
We are actively working to add this information.  Check back soon.

Thanks
Nic

Official Response

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

7 years ago

An update on 28 January ... 

Thanks for the feedback so far, please keep it coming as we tune the new contributor focused title reference view. 

Please note for customers who are not contributors, we strongly recommend the standard IMDb title display.  The reference view will always be focused on core data and will be missing non-data features.  You can opt out of reference view at any time via https://www.imdb.com/preferences/general or via the "Change View" link near the top of the reference view title pages. 

We have a fix in progress for the bug preventing the display of the (uncredited) attribute on cast lists. [FIXED]

We are adding support for additions / deletions to your watchlist. [FIXED] 

The poster will be linked to the photo viewer and will open the poster, as in the standard view [FIXED]

The box office information from the standard title view will be added soon. [FIXED]

The year of the title (at the top of the page) will be linked to an advanced search of other titles from that year, as in the standard view. [FIXED]

Add year ranges for TV series [FIXED]

Swap order of writers credits and attributes to match the rest of the page [FIXED]

Faulty display logic for some localized titles [FIXED]

Trivia & goofs not shown as active links in the navigation when all items are spoilers.

Some attributes, including (archive footage) & (credit only) display incorrectly. 

Company credits are missing attributes. 

Mini-series credits not displayed properly [FIXED]

Redirect loop when accessing reference view pages on mobile devices [FIXED]

[also remember from Nic's post above, user reviews will also be added] 

We have already simplified the options on the preferences page at https://www.imdb.com/preferences/general

10.7K Messages

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225.4K Points

Now that mitigations for these acknowledged weaknesses have been implemented, I have a much more positive outlook on the new scheme.

I'm still not sure about it being named "Title Reference View" rather than "Title Combined View"; the extended page path being "reference" rather "combined". For one, it disrupts the many bookmarks I've made to the "combined" pages of many title entries. I would have to change them all, in order to skip or prevent the redirection process. For this new template as it were, the information inside the HTML title tags (<title>...</title>), same as the value of the DOM property document.body.title, has also been altered, which affects how a new bookmark is automatically named by a web browser upon being created. Apart from that, the scheme actually kind of makes sense, in that basically Title Default View replaces the old Title Reference View, while the Name Default View replaces the old Name Reference View.

So, in time, we're probably going to be asking for certain adjustments to both the default views (for titles and for names) and the reference views (for titles and for names). Now that I think about it, maybe in the future, there will be such a distinction as "company default view" and "company reference view", if something is ever done to accommodate non-Pro IMDb subscribers in that regard; just food for thought.

2.4K Messages

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81.2K Points

7 years ago

Well, after a first (quick) look, it seems that at last, a positive change has been brought!

2 Messages

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814 Points

Where's the positive change?

10.7K Messages

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225.4K Points

It's more of a neutral change, which is why I've not been able to give much positive or negative feedback. This is one of the few changes that actually entails some bit of hope.

2 Messages

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814 Points

7 years ago

I don't know if I like this new view. I miss not seeing the 10 stars and being able to click the user ratings right next to it. It feels more like I'm viewing it on a mobile phone than a desktop.

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

This is a data-centric view aimed at contributors and is probably not for you in that case.  We recommend un-checking the options on https://www.imdb.com/preferences/general and using the standard IMDb interface. 

82 Messages

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3K Points

I don't understand the logic behind this. Why do you think a contributor would not like to access this data directly? As a contributor,  I would like to have back the 10 stars, the user ratings AND the link to my vote history.

10.7K Messages

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225.4K Points

In a sense, it's aimed at contributors who spend more time editing cast lists, crew lists and plot information than rating or reviewing titles, I guess. The missing features are still important, though. We would be glad to have them back.

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

 I would like to have back the 10 stars, the user ratings AND the link to my vote history.
Please see the grab from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336/reference below. The user rating is highlighted in red with your vote (if applicable) to its right (blue star).  Your vote history can be accessed from any IMDb page from the menu in the upper right, see purple highlighting: 

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

For context please see https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/upcoming-changes-to-several-imdb-features-du6man1opd5q0

The software which served these pages does not exist any more and after Monday even the hardware it used to run upon will be gone. 

Constructive feedback on the new reference pages are welcome if you a high volume data contributor, if not, please revert to the standard view and constructive feedback is welcome instead there too.  If neither suit your needs then http://m.imdb.com/ also works on a desktop browser.

2 Messages

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392 Points

7 years ago

This is awful. The classic design was the best one. This new cluttered one that was introduced a few years ago where you can't find anything you want is horrible and I used the option to see the old design and now it's gone. Why replace a good design with a bad one? Now I can't even find the user ratings without scrolling down the menu on the right. 

I've been using IMDb since 1999 and  have been a Top 100 contributor in the past. it seems all the "improvements" are just making everything worse. I remember when you could sort a persons movies by user ratings and number of votes. You'd get one list of the Acting credits, one of Directing credits, etc. Another great feature that was replaced with a new one where all the movies are lumped together no matter if they're Acting, Directing or just "Thank you"s. IMDb is turning into a mess.

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

For context,  please see https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/upcoming-changes-to-several-imdb-features-du6man1opd5q0 
Now I can't even find the user ratings without scrolling down the menu on the right. 
From http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336/reference -- please see the red highlighting below. Or is the issue that you would like the number of votes linked to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336/ratings -- if so, we can look at this?



I remember when you could sort a persons movies by user ratings and number of votes. You'd get one list of the Acting credits, one of Directing credits, etc.
We have not removed that feature. From http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/ see the "By rating" link in the right hand menu:



which will take you to http://www.imdb.com/filmosearch?sort=user_rating&explore=title_type&role=nm0000229 and then you can use the refine menu, the grab below shows title type:



and then you can do the same on "Job Types" to, say, refine by director and lo and behold, The highest rated feature films direct by Steven Spielberg:

http://www.imdb.com/filmosearch?explore=title_type&role=nm0000229&ref_=filmo_ref_job_typ&...

You can combine any of the other filters plus the links in the right of the /name/ page for by year | genre | keyword | votes all work in the same way.   This is more powerful than anything offered on the old pages. 

7 Messages

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278 Points

7 years ago

Aaand still no box office data in the reference view.

So what's the point of discarding the old reference/combined views if the new one does not display all the data? I still have to log out or switch views if I want to have the full data from both the default view and the reference view. Frustrating.

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

Good catch, thanks. We have opened a ticket with the appropriate team.

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

This has been added back. Thanks again for the problem report. 

7 Messages

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278 Points

(copying my comment from the last page)

Thanks for listening.

But, while it does include "budget", "opening weekend" and "worldwide gross", it is missing "USA gross" in comparison to the default view.

Employee

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59 Messages

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2.5K Points

Hi,
Can you provide an example of a title which is missing USA gross on the reference view but it exists in the default?  We have added this functionality but perhaps its missing in all scenarios.

Here is an example which contains USA gross for both views
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336/reference

Thanks
Nic

7 Messages

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278 Points

Sure. Actually, I don't need to provide an example, as ALL titles that I checked (even the example you provided) ARE missing USA gross - at least I can not see it in my view. So maybe it is a localization issue?

Employee

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59 Messages

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2.5K Points

Thanks.  I'm following up with the team.  I appreciate your patience as we sort this out.

7 Messages

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278 Points

Any updates on this?

248 Messages

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17.6K Points

7 years ago

The main problem with this new reference view, the way I see it, is the new menu bar, which has been moved from a small, non-intrusive list on the left side (before) to a huge, ugly and very intrusive block of useless information on the right side of the screen, hugely narrowing the width of the data blocks.

Please move the menu back to the left side, make it as wide as the poster image, and keep the poster image and menu in its own column as before, and have all the other sections to the right of it, as before, and I'm sure most would be pleased. Currently, as you go down a title screen, the data seems very condensed, and there is a huge area of open space to the right that should have been used for data.

Also, now that you have made the reference view in the new software, there's no excuse for not including the budget and box office information in the new view.

10.7K Messages

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225.4K Points

We should have the option of having the index (or "table of contents") menu being displayed on the left or the right. Also, that menu as it exists for the new (2010) platform overall deserves to as good as or better than the one of the old platform. For the past seven years, since its introduction, it has not really been better.

248 Messages

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17.6K Points

7 years ago

I also miss the keywords list at the top.

82 Messages

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3K Points

7 years ago

So, judging by the comments here, most people are not happy about this. As far as I understood Col, changes can be made, so I hope this gets, at least partially, redesigned as to resemble the old view (right now, "vertical video syndrome" springs into my mind whenever I look at the site).

One suggestion for improvement: right now I have set the title display country to Original. At the top of the page, it site shows the US rating but the German release date (for Star Wars: TLJ, although a German rating is listed). It would be useful if rating and release date are from the same country.

2.7K Messages

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83K Points

7 years ago

Thanks IMDb! This is exactly right!
Just two things though:
-Can you put the (attributes) back in the cast listings? They're currently only visible in the update forms.
-Can you make the name pages as clean and lean as the title pages please? Currently, one gets rather distracted when visiting them because the whole right part, the "Known for'" section and the pics at the bottom crave attention for other stuff.

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

-Can you put the (attributes) back in the cast listings? They're currently only visible in the update forms.
Sorry about that. There's already a bug open for this. 

2.7K Messages

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83K Points

Thanks for the swift reply Col. Good to know there's already a bug open for this.

Employee

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59 Messages

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2.5K Points

We have fixed the issue with the missing cast attributes (i.e. uncredited).  We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

5 Messages

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224 Points

7 years ago

Urgh! I dreaded this day... RIP reference view.
Most notable omission: why no 'Add to watchlist'? But oh boy, there is more;

The truly great thing that kept me using the reference view for all these years (am a casual user, don't use IMDb for work) was that

1: I avoided the vomit explosion that is the default view. Whenever I go to IMDb on a not-logged-in browser, my immediate reaction is "Ugh!".
2: I could get a more effective overview of the details I wanted to know, while avoiding the cacophony of too much and too little that is the default view.

Suggestion for IMDb:
Surely it must be possible (and desired by others than me, it seems?) to have an intermediate view. That is, with the current layout (and all the under-the-hood changes that necessitated this in the first place), but with a "compressed" listing,
I.e. only above-the-line cast and crew, like the old reference view had and current default view has, with a "See full cast" link. And "See all crew" or "See all producers/visual effects/etc." (depending on granularity) respectively.

For some titles this might not be necessary, but have a look at Game of Thrones - or any other TV-show with many individual cast/crew. That is an impossibly long page! Yes, it's easy to search for something, with it all on one page (which can be done smartly in other ways), but it doesn't make logical sense to scroll that page and read it all.
I wonder how much of an overlap there is with IMDbPro. Wouldn't a professional user request something nicer and more useful than the above example in the first place?

I fear that reference view is dead and has simply become too annoying to use going forward :'-(

5 Messages

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224 Points

As a side note: I've always wondered how many casual users would actually prefer the previous reference view over the default view, if they knew it was existed.

5 Messages

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224 Points

I forgot to point out (and it's too late to edit my previous comment) that there is literally a button "Full Cast and Crew" (/fullcredits) in the right column, which can be used when you want what is effectively now the "reference view". It's a mindboggling change by IMDb!

2 Messages

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90 Points

7 years ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled New site doesn't work in Opera Mobile.

When trying to go to a title page (combined) in Opera Mobile, it times out with the error message "m.imdb.com redirected you too many times". I have the newest version for Android, Android version 4.4.2. (Oh, I long for the times when web pages were simple and easy to manouver and ctrl+F could get you whatever you wanted.)

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

Thanks for the problem report. We have opened a ticket with the appropriate team.

386 Messages

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9.4K Points

7 years ago

I miss the handy link to switch from a title page on the free site, to the same page on the Pro site.  Used to be there in the left nav bar.  Maybe re-add it to the bottom of the new right nav bar?  Thanks.

6 Messages

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632 Points

7 years ago

If you need to get rid of old reference view, at least give us the option to check/uncheck "People who liked this also liked..." on default layout. That feature slows down the website so much.

20 Messages

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1K Points

7 years ago

I'd like to echo the sentiments that a watchlist button is required.

I'm not a huge fan of this new reference view, but it's an improvement over the alternative modern view.

2 Messages

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242 Points

7 years ago

I don't get it - if the goal was to add more data to the mobile view it fails at THAT too. I just tried to look up the filming locations for a film on the mobile version - and that data was absent from even the non-reference view.

Employee

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7.3K Messages

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179K Points

For context please see https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/upcoming-changes-to-several-imdb-features-du6man1opd5q0

Locations are just one example of the problem which we are starting to address.  Locations are on the web site and iOS app yet not on the mobile site nor Android app -- part of the 2018 plans are to build a more consistent experience (we can not fix all of this with a wave a magic wand overnight, but it is now significantly easier and faster to do so).